The present invention is directed to a conveyor system and method and, in particular, to a conveyor system and method for positively displacing articles being conveyed on a conveying surface.
Laterally displacing conveyor systems laterally displace articles travelling on a conveying surface. One such conveyor system is a sortation system that diverts articles off the conveying surface to a select spur. The spur can be a powered takeaway conveyor, gravity takeaway conveyor, chute, or the like. One type of sortation system is a positive displacement sorter. A positive displacement sorter utilizes some type of member to affirmatively guide the article being diverted off of the conveying surface in a manner that reduces the likelihood that an article could overshoot the diverter and, therefore, fail to be diverted. Divert failures are detrimental to efficient operation of the sortation system.